In the late hours of a Wednesday in Trenton, New Jersey, the sound of gunfire shattered the night on East Hanover Street. Responding to the reports, police discovered 26-year-old Keith Day, a Black male, lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds. This was May 14, 2014. He was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The incident came just hours after the announcement of an increased police presence on the city's streets to curb such violence.
The investigation into Day's death revealed a man who was no stranger to law enforcement. A day after he was killed, reports emerged detailing his criminal history. He had a previous and significant encounter with Trenton authorities in July of the preceding year. In that incident, Day was involved in a non-fatal shooting with police after he allegedly fired shots near a crowd of people on Hudson Street and then reportedly aimed his weapon at the responding officers. This prior event painted a picture of a life lived on the edge, a narrative that tragically concluded on that spring night.
In the aftermath of the homicide, the Mercer County Prosecutor's office took the lead in the investigation. Despite their efforts and public appeals for information, the initial search results do not indicate that any arrests have been made in connection with the shooting death of Keith Day. His killing remains one of the many unsolved homicides that have troubled the city of Trenton, leaving a lingering sense of loss and unanswered questions for his family and community.
